At the LA Cathedral, a gathering of “dogs of all faiths”

When I was in S. California some years back a friend took me to see the Cathedral, but before our trip over the Grape Vine, first we made a side trip to the Juvenile Detention Center of Kern County in Bakersfield. He told me sternly to look carefully at the sad building and commit it to my mind’s eye, which I duitfully did. A couple hours later, standing in the plaza in front of the LA Cathedral, he asked, "What does it remind you of?".

I guess it now doubles as a kennel.

This gives new meaning to the "toxic air" comment of Bishop Serratelli.

I live in LA, work downtown, during the week attend Mass daily at the Cathedral, love and yearn for the old Latin Mass, am very orthodox, am passionately pro-life, consider it a cross to have Cardinal Mahoney as my bishop and am counting the days to when he hits the mandatory retirement age. In other words, my credentials as an orthodox Catholic are impeccable and I am no fan of Cardinal Mahoney. Yet, despite all this, I think Cardinal Mahoney is sometimes very unfairly treated.

The reason that I bring all this up is that this event may not be quite as bad as it looks at first glance. The priest involved, Fr. Kostelnik, is a good priest in my opinion. He is the pastor at the Cathedral, celebrates the N.O. Mass reverently and gives above average homilies. If you look carefully at the flier you will see that this is a mostly secular event (sponsored by an entity called Downtown LA) designed to foster community among the people who live downtown, which is a place that needs this sort of thing. Apart from the involvement of a secular entity like Downtown LA, this is not really much different than having bingo in the basement or a fair in the church parking lot.

I think Dan has hit the mark. There is absolutely nothing wrong with this at all – unlike Elton John’s star-studden by-invite-only birthday party in the nave of the Cathedral of St. John Divine. The only down-side to this is that some of the stupider dog-lovers will want their doggies to have the run of the Cathedral and might create all sorts of messes, and the cathedral staff will have to take this potential problem into account. Not that certain angry rad trads wouldn’t want to do that themselves mind you.

For better or for worse, the Taj Mahony is THE cathedral, and will remain so until God determines otherwise. One might as well try to make it THE Cathedral in the hearts of the people of Los Angeles to the extent that is possible. The doggie event is one small way of doing just that.

It’s interesting to note that if you take the link to read Mahony’s horrible letter “We Gather Faithfully Together” , the web page has a photo of a Mass procession, and of course the first two people you see in the photo are women. Ah to live in the age of the emasculata.

Kern County misses Fr. Z. I can confirm that the Kern County Jevenile Court Facility can be more inspiring than the Raj Hahal. So, Fr. Z, can you ever come back to Kern County for say a Latin Mass retreat?? PLease.

Dan makes a good point. I pray regularly that Cardinal Mahoney will get a clue and respect his Church as he should, but this dog event proves nothing. Unfortunately, “Diogenes,” who I’m told is actually several people, including at least one priest, is about on the same level as a reporter for the Weekly World News tabloid when it comes to reporting the whole story with accuracy.

Recently, he was spreading a variety of lies about the very orthodox and courageous Archbishop Charles Chaput, and then, to supplement his lies with failed humor, Diogenes printed the following racist screed to mock Chaput’s Indian heritage and to accuse him of being a lackey of the Democratic party:

In mere two sunsets, celestial visitor, comet McNaught, has shown in western skies; indigenous Denver peoples attend inaugural feasts for new war chief Ritter of red state turned blue, Colorado. In same two sunsets, Great Dem nation chief and Planned Parenthood witch doctor, Howard Dean, finds location of 2008 Democrat Party National Convention.

Great Dem witch doctor Dean points to plain range of Most Rev. Charles Chaput, OFM, Cap. for quadrennial Dem Pow Wow. There’s no Dem peace pipe offering after Ritter Holy Ghost party. Good bishop, who harkens from land just east of Little Big Horn-â€”land of gentle rolling hills with big suprises-â€”will have home territory invaded in 18 moons by many thousands Dem warriers. Warriers have strong desire to pay churches many visits, leave with Catholic wampum votes. Dem smoke signals, and comet McNaught, portend bad medicine for Most Rev. Charles.

In this bizarre posting, Diogenes was following up a story he fabricated in which Archbishop Chaput was supposedly officiated at a big public mass for the new Colorado governor, who is practically pro-abortion. Diogenes didn’t check his facts, and lots of angry Catholics called the Archbishop enraged because of Diogenes’ irresponsible reporting. (We have good Catholics here.) Chaput endorsed no such event, and wasn’t even there even though Diogenese insinuated that Chaput was SAYING the mass at first and then backpedalled when he realized he didn’t know what he was talking about.

Fr. Z,
I will do my best with Dom Belluomini. How wonderful it wouldl be to attend a High Mass sung with the great Fr’s Sotelo and Z along with Dom Belluomini, now that would be something close to heaven.

Are they seriously going to bring in dogs into the church? Are they increasing there desecrations now by bringing in pets into a consecrated cathedral? We do not have to wonder how Our Lord would react. He threw the pigeon traders, the egg sellers and bankers even out of the portal of the Temple of the Lord in Jerusalem. With chains.

Cardinal Mahoney however would be having them sell and change upon the very Holiest of Holies. “Spirit of God here, Zachariah? Neva mind! Come on over with the Sodomites and Antiochians and let’s be one big, pink family in a United World of dogs and pigs! Yes, Mr Shiva and Mr Ganesha are invited too!”

Personally I wouldn’t really have problems with the event per se. However what makes my
toes curl is the lavender-smelling tweeness of the language used: “dogs of all faiths”;
“…and their humans”. What sort of adult would come up with that? Pass the sickbag… (retching sounds offstage)

The problem that I see with the event is like so many other events there: its a secular event, as you say.

Why should the Cathedral be used to hold social events and weekly concerts and “prayer services”?

As for Msgr. Kostelnik, he does seem a like a nice man, though like everyone else at the Cathedral, likes to wander about during homilies and often takes polls during them (e.g., whose from out of town, etc.)

Dog Day Afternoon – famous movie based on the true story of a married man who wanted to pay for his boyfriend’s “sex change operation” and robbed a bank. He got caught but Hollywood paid him handsomely for the movie rights and he paid for the “sex change”. The thus “changed man” later died of AIDS.

Thanks for the funny pictures, Vincenzo! We were wondering where they put the Yellow Armadiool after it got ‘fixed.’ My kids and I have been chuckling over those all morning. Hope you don’t mind, but I shared them with some friends as well.

Julie wrote:“Thanks for the funny pictures, Vincenzo! We were wondering where they put the Yellow Armadiool after it got â€˜fixed.â€™ My kids and I have been chuckling over those all morning. Hope you donâ€™t mind, but I shared them with some friends as well.”

Vincenzo,
Thanks for another of my best laughs of the day! The Sandcrawler pic is just classic! Hard to believe that ugly yellow thing is a church… it really does look more like a Jawa sandcrawler.
May the force be with you, Vincenzo, and keep the pics coming!

Our parish has a pet blessing every year, OUTSIDE, in front of the Church.
It is a very popular even with everyone except one of our priests who ends up having to clean the messes (sometimes even on the church steps,) left by irresponsible humans (yes, I meant to phrase it that way…)

Gather us in, chihuahuas and rotties,
Gather us in, the studs and the spayed,
Give us a blessing, don’t give us penance,
As is our …. due? for the messes we made.

I think this is realy a trial balloon by Cdl. Balony. Having sold his Chancery he cannot bear to consider parting with his “masterpiece” and he is obviously planning to turn it into a “multi-use” building like, say, Madison Square Garden. Just think of the possibilities (and rental fees):

-Rock Concerts
-Political Conventions
-Circuses
-Dog shows!

Of course his Liturgical Committee is uniquely well suited to manage this sort of thing, and many of the potential “acts” have probably “played” the cathedral before! A real “win-win” for Rog, and the end of his cashflow problems.

Expect the besandaled “Archbishop of Braintree” to follow suit if it’s successful!

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